1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a puppy or dog trainer or toilet for initiating and continuing routine urination and defecation of a canine species, particularly in a home environment. More specifically, the invention includes a dog-acceptable receptacle for supporting a dog's weight which employs the time-tested newsprint paper method coupled with effective urine collection and clean-up.
2. Material Art
Pet pans such as that seen in U.S. Pat. 3,358,647 have been suggested for training a puppy or full-grown dog to exercise its bodily functions in a given location by providing a flat water-proof bag draped over the margins of a tubular frame to form a dish-like liquid-proof container, the central part of the loose bag being supported by a supporting surface such as a room floor. A disposable absorbent material such as cut-up newspaper known as Kitty Litter.TM. or sheets of newspaper are positioned on the bag bottom. Due to the thickness of the absorbent layer, the absorbent layer stays wet and is difficult to remove due to its high liquid content. Training pads per se have been suggested as seen in U.S. Pat. No 3,626,899 in which absorbent sheet material is lined with fluid-impervious material and impregnated with an odor imparting substance to attract young dogs to the pads for the purpose of urination and defection while discouraging the desire to chew and destroy the pad. The pads may be laid directly on a floor or placed in a cage while transporting the animal. U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,121 shows an artificial grass impregnated pad adhered to a perforated plastic sheet and an impervious plastic sheet, the pad being positioned in a reinforced bottom-grooved vacuum-formed plastic tray for support and collection of fluids. U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,401 describes an animal toilet including a reusable porous mat with porous paper thereon positioned on a porous supporting platform extending over a drain basin. A drain cock for removal of urine is provided in the basin.
Sectional pet cages as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,545; 5,092,270 and 5,148,771 have also incorporated a perforated floor and a urine-collecting bottom; a removable cat litter box drawer; and a water flushing system, respectively.
As can be seen in the patents discussed above there has been no trainer proposed that allows for easy removal of an upper layer of newspaper sheets, which permits quick drying of the newspaper sheets which have absorbed urine, which allows for easy wrapping of relatively dry sheets around fecal material for disposal and which provides for removal of drained urine without lifting and tilting of the overall catch basin.